Happy birthday to me!

The best birthday present a gal could ask for!

Almost there!

I love how much Oliver loves his baby sis.

The other day we were on our way to the park and Lily was starting to fuss.

Oliver leaned over and patted her car seat (he can't reach her) and in a soft, sing-songy voice said, "Almost there, Beanbean! Almost there!"

Only child? No way!

This, right here, is the reason to have more than one child!
You just can't beat the love a sibling can provide!

Ensign Inspiration

Lately I've been thinking about getting an evening job to help speed up the process for buying our first home. We were thinking of ways to get child care for the evenings, how to balance my time away, how to figure out rides to work, etc.

A couple of nights ago I was flipping through the Ensign (our church magazine) when I came across something that Heavenly Father obviously knew I needed reminding of...

"I hope that if you are employed full-time you are doing it to ensure that basic needs are met and not simply to indulge a taste for an elaborate home, fancy cars, and other luxuries. The greatest job that any mother will ever do will be in nurturing, teaching, lifting, encouraging, and rearing her children in righteousness and truth. None other can adequately take her place." -Gordon B. Hinckley

I know that if I follow this counsel that we will be blessed as we have been since we made the choice for me to stay at home with my children. I wouldn't trade the biggest mansion in the world for spending my days with my beautiful babies!

What Grandparents are for...

For an extra cuddle and a squeeze, For helping us push our load with ease,

For playing with vroomvrooms all the day,



For pulling sleds, and snowy play,

and building snowmen,

lets do it all again!!

We love you GaGaPopPop and MyMyPaPa!!

posterity

What a blessing for Lily to meet her great grandmother! It is extra special because everyone in this picture share the same name...Dorothy Bates, Bonnie Bates, Jessica Bates, and Lily Bates! I'm so glad I was able to carry on this tradition and hope that someday when Lily has a little girl, that she will give her the middle name of Bates in honor of all the great Bates women who came before her!

Christmas with grandparents